Shrouded in Shadow
by Maria Kintobor
Summary: Part of my fanmade season: The Sonic X adaptation of Shadow the Hedgehog's self titled game! WARNING: Contains spoilers of the original game, do not read unless you completed the whole game.
1. Prologue

Sonic X - (Fanmade) Season

Story 4: Shrouded in Shadow

DISCLAIMER: Characters, places, and objects are trademarks of Sega, Sonic Team, and/or Sonic Project.

Author's Note:  
Everyone has been wanting to see Shadow's self-titled game adapted into "Sonic X". Well, I'm about to make that wish come true. ...in fanfiction form anyway. Of course, it's recommended that you play the game before reading this fic so that you won't get too confused. Oh, since this is a "Sonic X" adaptation of the game, there will be "Sonic X" characters involved in the plot. (Don't blast me, Chris haters.) And Maria joined the "Sonic X" cast since my first fic in the series, "Welcome Back, Sonic". (Read said fic to see how.) And, as always, any anime emotional "enhancements" will be in bold. So, now that we got all that cleared up, it's about time to get Shadow's memory back, wouldn't you say?

Prologue

Outside the Thorndyke mansion on a sunny afternoon, its inhabitants are gathered around the adult pool. Those inhabitants are Tails, Ella, Cream, Cheese, Vanilla, Amy, Tanaka, Knuckles, and Chris. Tails waters a potted sprout on the table, Cosmo 2, as Ella looks on in admiration.

"Oh, Tails, you are taking such good care of your plant," Ella compliments Tails.

Tails stops watering Cosmo 2 and happily looks at Ella.

"Thanks. I give her plenty of water and sunshine ev'ryday," Tails explains.

"So, I see," remarks Ella.

Cream, Cheese, and Vanilla are sitting on the lounge chairs, drinking tea.

"So, Cream, would you like to have a father again?" Vanilla asks her daughter.

Cream and Cheese curiously look at her.

"Why, mom? Are you dating?" wonders Cream.

"Not yet," Vanilla explains, "but there's something about Vector."

Cream and Cheese look uncertain at each other.

"Vector as my dad?" Cream asks.

"Chao chao," agrees Cheese.

Tanaka serves a lemonade to Amy who sits a lounge chair. Tanaka's tray has four other glasses of lemonade on it as he gives Amy hers.

"You and Topaz must be very excited to have a baby on the way," Amy tells Tanaka.

Tanaka replies as Amy takes a sip of her lemonade, "We are indeed."

"So, is it a boy or a girl?" Amy asks.

Tanaka blushes in embarrassment and explains, "Uh, it's still a bit early for that."

**A sweatdrop rolls down the side of his head.**

Knuckles and eighteen-year-old Chris sit at the edge of the pool.

"So, what will you do when the Master Emerald is restored?" Chris asks Knuckles.

"What else? Go back to my world and return it to Angel Island where it belongs," Knuckles replies. "In the meantime, I'm just glad I get to unwind for a change."

Chris beams, "I know the feeling."

On the balcony outside of Chris' bedroom overlooking the pool, Maria sadly leans on the railing and watches the others enjoy themselves. She lets out a sigh.

Sonic's voice calls to her, "Still thinking about Shadow, huh?"

Maria gasps in surprise upon hearing this and curiously looks behind her to see Sonic standing there.

"How could you tell?" she asks the blue hedgehog.

Sonic approaches her and points out, "You were Shadow's first true friend."

He leans on the balcony beside Maria and looks at Chris talking to Knuckles.

"And I know what it's like to have that strong a bond," Sonic concludes, thinking about his friendship with Chris from when they first met.

Maria sadly sighs as she looks out at the horizon.

"If only he could remember we were friends," she responds, "the good times we shared together. I wish he didn't have amnesia. Why must this happen?"

Sonic looks at her with a comforting smile.

He pats her back and tells her, "He'll be alright."

Maria curiously looks at Sonic.

"He's trying hard to remember, but it takes time," Sonic explains. "Just be patient. He'll be back to normal soon enough."

He and Maria look at the horizon. Sonic is confident while Maria is worried.

"I hope so, Sonic. I hope so," is all she can say.

Meanwhile, Shadow stands under a tree in the public park in Station Square. He has his arms folded and looks uncertain.

"I don't understand it," Shadow thinks. "I only just met Maria and yet, I keep getting images of her as if I've always known her. But why?"

Shadow gets a memory of Maria laying on her chest on the floor as she weakly smiles.

Maria tells him, "Shadow, I beg of you..."

Then, there's a memory of Maria sitting near the window as she looks up at Shadow, giggling. Soon, that memory is replaced by a closeup of Maria laying on her chest in the floor as she looks up with a weak smile.

"...give them a chance to be happy," she instructs.

That final memory fades as Shadow becomes more uncertain with himself.

"Who am I?" he wonders. "What is my purpose? And what does Maria have to do with all this?"

He then gasps in shock and looks up at the sky as a blanket of mysterious red clouds suddenly cover it. Meanwhile, at the Thorndyke mansion, everyone there worriedly notices the red clouds in the sky coming closer. Cream, Cheese, Vanilla, Amy, Knuckles, and Chris stand up as they look at the clouds. Sonic and Maria stand up straight as they look at the clouds. The clouds come closer and closer.

Maria remarks, "Oh, I hope Shadow's okay."

A/N:  
Looks like trouble's a-brewin'. Those of you who've played the game will know what comes next. As for the rest of you... you might want to play the game first. Whatever the case, read and review.


	2. The Time Has Come

DISCLAIMER: Characters, places, and objects are trademarks of Sega, Sonic Team, and/or Sonic Project. 

Author's Note:  
Here's the reason why you're here: The appearance of the Black Arms in "Sonic X"! Of course, it's recommended that you play Shadow's self-titled game before reading this fic so that you won't get too confused. But there are a few differences in this fic you should know about. First of all, the original game has you following different paths based on whether you want to be a hero, villain, or neither, but the last story would be the true ending. So, to end up there, I'm mixing some of the paths together and leaving some out. Second, in the game, Shadow can use guns as a part of the game play. However, I'm dropping that ability so that the only characters who can wield guns are the military, Eggman's robots, and the aliens known as the Black Arms. Third, since this is a "Sonic X" adaptation of the game, there will be "Sonic X" characters involved in the plot. (Don't blast me, Chris haters.) Now then, on with the alien invasion!

Chapter 1 - The Time Has Come...

The red clouds hover over the city's buildings. Suddenly, the clouds open a hole over some of the buildings and a ton of black aliens fall out of the hole, feet-first. Some other black aliens have wings and just fly out of the hole. Shadow watches on from under the tree, worriedly.

"Those aliens are attacking the city!" he cries out.

Mysterious voice tells him, "Yes, a lovely sight, isn't it?"

Shadow gasps in surprise upon hearing this voice.

"Who said that?" he asks.

He then notices a six-tentacled black alien with a red eye in the middle "swim" toward him. Then, the eye projects a hologram of a big black alien in front of him. This alien has a small head, two horns with each one sticking out each side of his head, ten tiny horns on top of his head, three red eyes (That's right, three eyes.), and three fingers on each hand. He wears a long, black shirt that cover his feet. (If he has any feet.) His shirt has a gold collar, gold shoulder pads, and gold cuffs on the sleeves. His shirt also has silver metallic chains with strangely shaped charms on them. The eye projecting the hologram belongs to him as does the mysterious voice that spoke to Shadow earlier.

The alien introduces himself, "I am Black Doom, leader of the Black Arms. As you can see, the promised time will soon be here."

"Promised time? What promise?" Shadow wonders.

Black Doom explains, "We must gather the seven Chaos Emeralds in order to begin the ritual."

Shadow angrily shakes his fist at Black Doom and proclaims, "Not if I can help it."

Black Doom just chuckles at Shadow's threat.

"You are in no position to challenge us, Shadow the Hedgehog," he responds.

Shadow gasps in shock the moment Black Doom mentions his name.

"How do you know my name?" Shadow demands.

Black Doom tells him, "All will be revealed in time."

Then, the hologram fades and Black Doom's eye rushes away from Shadow. He reaches his hand toward the eye and starts to follow it, but some blasts from the sky stop him and makes him shield himself. Shadow recovers and looks at the city.

"Just what was that all about?" Shadow ponders. "If he knows who I am, then, like it or not, I have to believe him. The only way to know for sure," he becomes determined as he clenches his fist, "is to get those Chaos Emeralds. ... before anybody else!"

Shadow rushes into the city. He comes across a group of regular Black Arms known as Black Warriors that are blocking the street. Shadow doesn't stop as he uses a Chaos Spear on each trio or quartet of Black Warriors, knocking them out of the way of his path. Shadow then gasps in surprise as he notices something ahead. He frowns in determination as he heads toward that something... or more likely, someone: Topaz and Rouge are fighting these black aliens, too. Topaz wears her combat outfit as she shoots down the bat-like aliens, the Black Hawks, with her laser pistol. Rouge knocks down some Black Warriors with her devastating kicks. Shadow stands beside her as soon as she lands.

"I see you've got the 'message', Shadow jokes.

Rouge looks at him and teasingly asks, "Friends of yours, Shadow?"

"Hmph! Hardly," Shadow replies, maintaining his grim attitude. "But their leader seems to know me for some reason."

Topaz goes to Shadow and Rouge with her back toward them, keeping her pistol close.

"Any idea what they want?" Topaz asks Shadow.

"The leader, Black Doom, said they needed the Chaos Emeralds for some sort of ritual," he explains to the girls. "It has something to do with this 'promised time'."

"Ritual?" wonders Rouge.

"Promised time?" Topaz wonders.

"Believe me, I'm just as confused as you are," Shadow admits. "I'm even more surprised that Black Doom knows who I am. Perhaps, he knows something about my past. And I intend to get some answers."

"I don't know. These aliens can be pretty tricky," Rouge responds, skeptical.

"Be careful, they're not to be trusted," Topaz warns Shadow.

"I know what I'm doing," Shadow reassures the girls.

He jumps up toward some incoming Black Hawks. He punches and kicks them out of the way. Rouge and Topaz look on in awe. Shadow lands in front of them with his back turned toward them. Rouge and Topaz rush over to him as he stands up. Suddenly, all three of them gasp in shock as a group of Black Warriors and muscular black aliens, Black Oaks, come toward them, surrounding them.

Topaz points out, "There's too many of them!"

Shadow just becomes determined as he walks toward the aliens in front of them. He stands still.

"Rouge, take Topaz away from here," Shadow instructs.

"Why? What are you gonna do?" Rouge asks him.

"No time to explain. Just do it," Shadow demands.

Rouge shrugs, "Okay."

She holds Topaz as if to hug her and flies her off the ground, high above Shadow and the aliens surrounding him. He starts glowing red as he angrily growls and brings his fists up to his chest.

He starts out, "Chaos..." Then, he quickly brings his fists down, tilts his head back, and closes his eyes as he shouts out, "...Blast!"

Upon these words, the red glow expands out into a red dome of light covering the Black Warriors and Black Oaks, destroying them. Rouge and Topaz gasp in shock upon seeing this as they hover over the scene. As the light fades, Shadow stands with his arms folded. Rouge brings Topaz down to him, both girls still surprised.

Topaz remarks as Rouge lets go of her, "That was amazing, Shadow!"

"When did you learn to do that?" Rouge asks Shadow.

"I wish I knew. This is the first time I ever did that attack," Shadow admits. I'm not even sure how I knew it."

Rouge smiles, "Well, it sure comes in handy."

"So, now what?" Topaz wonders.

Shadow tells the girls, "We'll just have to keep fighting."

Suddenly, he and the girls gasp in surprise as a shadow of a giant stingray comes over them. They look up and see a black spaceship shaped like a stingray flying over the city. The ship spouts a green rocket fire out of its back. Shadow, Rouge, and Topaz watch this from the street below. Then, Shadow senses something within the ship.

"There's a Chaos Emerald within that ship. I can feel it," he explains.

Rouge and Topaz look at Shadow.

"Are you sure?" Topaz asks him.

"There's no doubt about it," Shadow responds. "The emerald has to be there."

He, Rouge, and Topaz watch the ship fly away from them.

Shadow exclaims, "I'm going after it. I need those emeralds if I want to uncover the secrets of my past."

Rouge and Topaz worriedly watch Shadow go after the ship.

"Secrets of his past?" wonders Topaz.

"Shadow has amnesia," Rouge reminds Topaz. "He thinks the Chaos Emeralds can cure him of that. ...somehow."

Shadow chases after the ship as it hovers through the empty damage-ridden streets. He tosses a Chaos Spear at the ship, but a green sphere of engery deflects it and fades just as quickly.

"That shield protects the ship," Shadow muses. "If I destroy that shield..."

He goes toward a broken highway bridge beside the ship's longer path. He jumps off the edge of the broken bridge and lands in front of the ship as it comes toward him. And, like he did with the Black Warriors and Black Oaks, Shadow glows red and brings his fists up to his chest.

He starts out, "Chaos..." Then, he quickly brings his fists down, tilts his head back, and closes his eyes as he shouts out, "...Blast!"

Upon these words, the red glow expands out into a red dome of light which destroys the green layer of the ship's shield, but not the ship itself. As the light fades, Shadow watches the ship hover over him and down the street.

"I took out the first layer of the shield," he remarks. "Only one more to go."

He rushes down an alley and arrives in front of the ship again as it comes toward him. Once again, he prepares for a Chaos Blast. He glows red and brings his fists up to his chest.

He starts out, "Chaos..." Then, he quickly brings his fists down, tilts his head back, and closes his eyes as he shouts out, "...Blast!"

Upon these words, the red glow expands out into a red dome of light which destroys the light blue layer of the ship's shield, but not the ship itself. As the light fades, Shadow watches the ship hover over him and down the street.

"That's got it. Now, to finish the job."

He chases after the ship and shoots a Chaos Spear at the ship, damaging it. He shoots another Chaos Spear at the ship and it takes more damage as the smoke from the damage rises up out of the ship. Shadow hurls one more Chaos Spear at the ship and it starts to let out eletrical sparks. Shadow stands and watches the ship as the sparks cause the ship to explode. Then, he looks up as a green light comes falling toward him. As it comes closer, the green light is revealed to be the green Chaos Emerald. Shadow catches the emerald before it lands on the ground. He looks at it as it glows in his hand.

"There's one emerald," he remarks. "I must get the other six before they do." He closes his eyes as he points out, "This emerald will lead me to the next."

The Chaos Emerald glows brightly in his hand. He then Chaos Controls out of Station Square. Doom's Eye floats above the scene, noticing Shadow's Chaos Control.

"Yes, that's right, Shadow," says Doom's Eye. "Gather the Chaos Emeralds for us."

A/N:  
Ooh. Black Doom is using Shadow and he doesn't even know it. Will he figure it out before it's too late? 'Til next chapter.


	3. Raising the Ruins

DISCLAIMER: Characters, places, and objects are trademarks of Sega, Sonic Team, and/or Sonic Project.

Author's Note:  
To those of you who played the game,I suppose you're wondering why Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun are the ones in Glyphic Canyon and not Shadow. Well, since Shadow's so busy collecting the Chaos Emeralds, I decided to let Eggman's cohorts activate the spheres in those ruins. (If you have played the game, you'll know what I'm talking about, but if not, then, read on!) And, as always, any anime emotional "enhancements" will be in bold. So, let's get flyin'! (You'll see why.)

Chapter 2 - Raising the Ruins

Inside the living room of the Thorndyke mansion, the TV shows the various Black Arms destroying cars and buildings in downtown Station Square.

An unseen male newscaster reports, "Today's top story is the arrival of the black aliens in downtown Station Square."

The scene on the TV changes to Rouge and Topaz fighting off the Black Warriors.

"Thanks to the combined efforts of Rouge the Bat and the military..."

The scene then changes to Shadow the Hedgehog giving a Chaos Blast to the surrounding Black Warriors and Black Oaks.

"...with the assistance of Shadow the Hedgehog, downtown only received minimal damage."

Sonic, Chris, Maria, Cream, and Cheese sit on the couch with Sonic on an arm of the couch and Cheese on Cream's lap. Tails and Knuckles stand beside Sonic while Ella, Mr. Stewart, Tanaka, Sam (in his casual clothes), and Chuck stand behind the couch as Amy stands beside Cream and Cheese with Vanilla behind Amy. Everyone watches the TV with gasps of horror.

The male reporter continues, "Meanwhile, more of these aliens are wreaking havoc throughout the region."

Tanaka becomes concerned for Topaz.

"Topaz," Tanaka thinks. "Thank goodness you are alright."

Maria worriedly holds her hands and whispers, "Shadow."

Chris puts his arm around her to comfort her. Maria accepts the embrace.

The male reporter concludes, "The people are advised to stay indoors during the onslaught."

Knuckles becomes fed up with the Black Arms, exclaiming, "There's gotta be something we can do! We can't just sit here!"

"Knuckles is right!" Sonic agrees. "We should take action!"

Sam becomes excited and tells everyone, "And take action we shall! I'm always rarin' to race to the rescue!"

Chris stands up as he becomes determined.

"I'm going, too!" he announces. "Remember, Tanaka taught me martial arts, so, I can handle those aliens!"

Tanaka proudly bows his head at Chris. Maria stands up as she becomes determined.

"I wanna go, too!" she chimes in.

Everyone else gasps in shock at this.

"Maria?" Chris asks.

"It's too dangerous!" Chuck points out.

Knuckles agrees, "Yeah. There was a reason Shadow protected you way back then."

Maria argues, "I can't just sit by knowing that Shadow's fighting those aliens alone! I have to help him!"

Mr. Stewart smiles and nods at Maria, telling her, "Then, I'll join in, too. As your tutor, I'll be responsible for your safety."

Maria happily giggles as she looks at Mr. Stewart.

"Thanks, Mr. Stewart."

Sonic happily winks with a thumbs up, exclaiming, "Well, what're we waitin' for?! Let's go get 'em!"

Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Chris, Sam, Mr. Stewart, and Maria excitedly agree, "Yeah!"

Meanwhile, in a ruin-filled desert called Glyphic Canyon, Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun are making their way through the ruins while Decoe looks at a map.

"This should lead us straight to the doctor's base," Decoe explains.

Then, the three robots stop in confusion as Bocoe and Bokkun watch Decoe turn the map to its side as he wonders, "...I think."

Bocoe and Bokkun sigh in disappointment as Decoe sadly rolls up the map.

"I told you we should have stopped to ask for directions," Bocoe scolded Decoe.

Bokkun holds his head and wonders, "Why do I even bother with these two?"

**A sweatdrop rolls down the side of his head.**

Then, the three curiously look ahead.

Bocoe asks, "So, any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue," Decoe replies. "This place was not mentioned on the map."

"If you ask me, that map you got was outdated," Bokkun suggests.

Decoe gets annoyed at Bokkun's response, scolding him, "Well, we were not asking you!"

Suddenly, a bright green light shines through the cracks of the door of an ancient temple in front of the three robots. They gasp in shock upon seeing this.

"What is that light?" Bocoe asks.

"I am afraid to look," Decoe admits. Then, he and Bocoe look at Bokkun and instruct him, "Bokkun, go see what it is."

Bokkun looks at Bocoe and Decoe and protests "What? Why do I hafta go in that scary place?"

"You have a longer warranty than Decoe and I do," Bocoe explains.

Bocoe and Decoe start to push a frightened Bokkun toward the temple.

"We insist!" Decoe tells Bokkun.

Bokkun gets pushed in front of the temple's glowing entrance. He angrily shakes his fist at Bocoe and Decoe.

"Quit shovin' already, I'm goin'!" complains Bokkun.

**A red vein sticks out of his forehead.**

He slowly walks toward the door, a bit scared. He stands by the door and putting his hand over his eyes, he taps on the door. Suddenly, the door raises up slowly. Bokkun slowly removes his hand from his eyes and watches this in curiosity. Bocoe and Decoe watch this, too. The door stops as soon as its opened wide. Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun notice a big glowing green sphere inside the open doorway, surrounded by two wooden rings, interlapping with each other. Bokkun becomes frightend again as he gulps. Then, he slowly walks toward the sphere. More curious than nervous, Bokkun reaches toward the sphere, entranced by its bright light. Bocoe and Decoe approach Bokkun and stand behind him. Soon, Bokkun touches the sphere. Suddenly, The rings around the sphere start to spin as the room starts to shake. Bokkun quicky pulls his hand away as he, Bocoe, and Decoe gasp in shock at this.

"What is going on?" asks Decoe.

"Perhaps Bokkun broke the temple," wonders Bocoe.

Bokkun denies, "I didn't mean it!"

Just then, a piece of rubble from the temple falls beside them with a thud. They scream in horror upon noticing this.

"Let us get out of here!" instructs Decoe.

He and Bocoe run past the sphere, screaming. Bokkun notices Bocoe and Decoe leaving the temple and panics.

"Hey!" Bokkun cries out as he follows Bocoe and Decoe. "Don't leave me here! Oh!"

He, Bocoe, and Decoe rush out of the temple. They stand near a pedestal and try to catch their breath. (Robots can breathe?)

"That was a close one," said Decoe.

"We were almost metal pancakes," Bocoe agrees.

"What was that all about?" Bokkun wonders.

Just then, Decoe touches a sphere on the pedestal, similar to the one in the temple. He pulls his hand away as he, Bocoe, and Bokkun notice the sphere, curiously.

Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun all wonder, "Huh?"

The wooden rings around that sphere start to spin just like that other sphere.

"What's with this place?" exclaims Bokkun.

"I am not sure," Decoe admits as Bocoe backs away, "but the doctor is not going to be pleased with us."

Suddenly, Bocoe touches another sphere. He quickly faces it in fright as this sphere's rings spin, too. Decoe and Bokkun notice this with gasps of horror.

"What did you do?" Decoe asks Bocoe.

Bocoe angrily points at Bokkun and explains, "Well, Bokkun started it!"

Bokkun angrily protests, "It's not my fault!"

**A red vein sticks out of his forehead.**

Meanwhile, in the blackness of Space, Black Doom appears to be pleased.

"Excellent. They are starting to awaken our mighty battleship," he muses. "I transported this brilliant flying fortress to this planet over two-thousand years ago. It's magnificent, ready to impose terror in unimaginable ways."

Meanwhile, back at Glyphic Canyon, Doom's Eye overlooks the scene.

"Now, go!" he instructs. "Make sure those fools continue the awakening."

Meanwhile, Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun watch the spheres in horror as their wooden rings spin faster. Bocoe then looks at the ground beside him and gasps in shock.

"I believe we have company," he tells his comrades.

Decoe and Bokkun look at the ground where Bocoe looks and gasp in shock. Red squid-like aliens, the Death Leeches, crawl toward the robots.

Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun run from the leeches, shouting, "Run away!"

They keep running, but then, screech to a stop as they notice a Black Oak walking toward them. They slowly back away as he comes closer, unknowingly going up some ancient stairs.

"This guy has muscles on his muscles!" Decoe points out.

"I certainly hope he does not use us as dumbbells," Bocoe hopes.

"Well, you two certainly fit the part," responds Bokkun.

Suddenly, their backs touch yet another sphere. They notice, thinking it was a wall, and get quickly their backs off the sphere and look at it as its rings start to spin. They scream in fright as they run down the stairs, away from the Black Oak and the sphere. Some Black Hawks shoot at them as if to keep them on a steady path. They look at the Black Hawks flying over them.

"Where are all of these black aliens coming from?" Decoe wonders.

"Good question," Bocoe replies.

Just then, he, Decoe, and Bokkun run into one final sphere, knocking them unconcious. They slip down to the ground and the sphere's rings spin. With all five spheres activated, the ground around them starts to rise, forming a floating battleship. Then, a Black Oak picks up the robots and tosses them off into the trees below as the "ship" goes higher into the sky. Bocoe, Deoce, and Bokkun look around in disappointment.

"I think that was their way of making us walk the plank," Bocoe explains.

"Maybe, we should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque," Decoe admits.

"Gee, ya think?" Bokkun sarcastically asks.

A/N:  
Uh-oh. The robots just aided the Black Arms in their invasion. Eggman's not gonna be happy about this. But that's for us to know and for him to speculate. In the meantime, read and review.


	4. A Day at the Circus

DISCLAIMER: Characters, places, and objects are trademarks of Sega, Sonic Team, and/or Sonic Project.

Author's Note:  
Still going with Shadow's game adapt in case you forgot. Just by reading the title in this next chapter, you may already know which level of the game this scene takes place. However, Eggman doesn't own this circus, but there's plenty of action just the same. Just a reminder, since this is a "Sonic X" adaptation of the game, there will be "Sonic X" characters involved in the plot. (Don't blast me, Chris haters.) Speaking of Chris, he fights in this fic, too, since he learned martial arts from Tanaka. Remember, Chris is an adult in my fanmade season, so, you won't hate him as much. (Please, don't blast me!) And Maria's in this fic as she was in the game, but she's more involved in this fic than she was in the game due to the fact that she joined the "Sonic X"cast since my first fic in the series, "Welcome Back, Sonic". (Read said fic to see how.) Chris narrates a flashback in this chapter, so, his narration will be in italic. And, as always, any anime emotional "enhancements" will be in bold. So, let's all go to the circus! ...for a battle, that is.

Chapter 3 - A Day at the Circus

Sonic runs down the street between a race car and a coupe. The race car is driven by Sam Speed who wears his racing uniform by this time. The coupe is driven by Mr. Stewart whose passengers are Knuckles, Chris, and Maria.

Sam tells Sonic, "It's been a while since our last race, hasn't it, Sonic?"

"Huh. I must admit, I did miss having you to race with," Sonic replies.

"I wonder what those black aliens want," Chris muses.

"Whatever it is, they'll have to go through me to get it!" declares Knuckles.

Mr. Stewart tells Maria, "I still think it's too dangerous for you to come with us, Maria."

"I don't care," she responds. "I want to help Shadow. He needs to remember his past. I am his past."

"I don't get it," Knuckles wonders.

Chris explains, "Maria's the reason Shadow wanted to destroy this planet at first."

Chris remembers being on the ARK six years ago, slowly walking toward Shadow after being badly wounded by him. Chris reaches to Shadow as his adult self narrates.

_However, I reminded him that Maria never wanted revenge._

Then, twelve-year-old Chris faints and Shadow catches him. Tears weld up in Shadow's eyes. Back in the present day, eighteen-year-old Chris, Knuckles, and Maria ride with Mr. Stewart in his coupe.

"Unfortunately, Shadow doesn't remember all that," Chris points out.

"I'll remind him. Somehow," Maria hopes.

Sonic and the cars zoom off down the road. Meanwhile, Shadow stands on a cliff overlooking a circus tent.

"Hmph. How could these people stand those bright colors?" Shadow scoffs. "Nevertheless, there's a Chaos Emerald inside there and I must get to it before..."

Screams of horror interrupt him.

He becomes curious, asking, "Hmm?"

Suddenly, a crowd of terrified people rush out of the tent and away.

"What would make them afraid of a circus?" Shadow wonders.

He jumps down and rushes toward the entrance, making his way through the crowd. Entering the circus tent, he suddenly stops and gasps in shock upon seeing various Black Warriors, Black Oaks, and Black Hawks all around the interior, trashing the big top.

"I don't blame them, I hate this place myself," he says of his dislike of circuses, but becomes angry at the Black Arms for trashing the place and decides, "but they shouldn't put so many lives at stake."

He rushes toward the Black Arms and starts attacking some of them with various kicks and punches. He doesn't notice Doom's Eye floating over the massacre.

"Shadow. Perhaps, Professor Gerald has done more to you than I imagined," says the eye.

Meanwhile, Sonic, Sam, Mr. Stewart, Chris, Knuckles, and Maria notice some Black Hawks circling above the circus tent in the distance. Shock is on their faces.

"The black creatures," says Sam.

Mr. Stewart points out, "They're attacking the circus!"

"How low can they go?" Sonic scolds the aliens.

Sam teasingly calls to Sonic, "Hey, Sonic!"

Sonic curiously looks at him.

Sam gives a thumbs up and tells the blue hedgehog, "Don't be late."

He pulls the gear lever forward and drives off fast toward the circus tent.

Sonic snickers, "Ha, ha, ha. Look who's talking."

He quickly runs after Sam to catch up to him.

Chris holds his head in disbelief and wonders, "Will those two ever change?"

**A sweatdrop rolls down the side of his head.**

Mr. Stewart becomes determined and announces, "We should go after them, too."

He pulls the gear lever forward and drives Chris, Knuckles, and Maria toward the circus tent, following Sonic and Sam. Soon, Sonic arrives at the tent first and stands there, smiling as he waits for the others. He watches Sam's car stop along side the tent and in front of Sonic. Sam gets out of the car, upset that Sonic beat him. ...again.

Sam tells Sonic, "One of these days, I'll be able to beat you."

"Maybe. Just not today," Sonic teases.

Sam closes his eyes and folds his arms, saying, "Whatever."

He curiously opens his eyes as he and Sonic watch Mr. Stewart's car pull up and stop beside Sam's. Then, Mr. Stewart, Chris, and Maria come out of the car using their respective doors while Knuckles jumps out of the car through the open sun roof. All four have determined looks on their faces as they stand in row. Sam teasingly smiles at this as does Sonic.

"Well, well. The gang's all here," says Sonic.

"That was fast. I expected you'd be longer," jokes Sam.

Mr. Stewart looks at Sam and tells him, "Never underestimate a school teacher." Then, he looks in front of him and asks his comrades, "Now, then, shall we get started?"

Sonic and Sam stand beside the others and look in front of them in determination.

"I thought you'd never ask," Sonic responds.

Everyone watches the Black Hawks still circling above the circus tent. Then, they rush into the tent. Once inside, they stand at the entrance and watch the fight between Shadow and the Black Arms. Maria watches Shadow in concern.

"Shadow. You're still fighting," she thinks. "If you knew the truth..."

"Shadow needs help!" Chris points out.

Sonic and Knuckles gasp in shock as Chris rushes toward the Black Arms.

Sonic reaches out to Chris, calling, "Chris, wait!"

Too late: Chris has already joined the fight. He jump-kicks a Black Warrior, punches another, and trips a trio of them with a crouched-down spinning-kick. Knuckles is surprised at Chris' ability to fight back.

"I had no idea he can do that," said Knuckles.

Sam and Mr. Stewart just smile proudly at Chris.

"He wasn't kidding when he said Tanaka trained him," reminds Sam.

Sonic is just as surprised as Knuckles.

Sonic thinks, "I keep forgetting that Chris had learned a lot since we first left this world." He teasingly smiles and tells the others, "Well, we can't let 'im have all the fun, can we?"

Knuckles, Sam, Mr. Stewart, and Maria nod in determination, agreeing with what Sonic had said. They and Sonic then rush over to join the fight, too. Sonic pulls a ring out of his "pocket". He jumps up and uses the ring's power to spin. He hits a Black Hawk and it falls down. Sonic comes out of his spin as he watches the Black Hawk land on some Black Warriors and Black Oaks, knocking them unconscious. Knuckles punches a Black Oak. The Black Oaks are the strongest of the Black Arms. However, Knuckles, being super-strong himself, has no problem taking them out. Sam does a headstand and spin-kicks some Black Warriors away. Mr. Stewart punches, kicks, and karate-chops some more Black Warriors, knocking them unconscious. Then, he curiously hears Maria give a battle cry. He looks in the direction of the yell with a frightened gasp. He watches Maria charge toward a group of Black Warriors and Black Oaks.

Mr. Stewart reaches out to Maria, calling, "Maria, don't...!"

Before Mr. Stewart could finish his sentence, Maria jump-kicks a Black Warrior, knocking him back toward the other Black Warrior and Black Oaks. This causes them to fall down like dominoes. They lay on the ground, unconscious. Sonic, Knuckles, Chris, and Sam stop fighting and notice Maria's attack with gasps of shock. Mr. Stewart is surprised at this, too. Maria proudly brushes her hands as the others gather around her. She curiously looks at them as they all smile at her, happily.

"That was amazing!" Chris tells her.

"Way to sock it to 'em!" adds Sonic

"Didn't know you had it in you!" Knuckles agrees.

"How'd you do that?" asks Sam.

Mr. Stewart tells her, "I must admit, you had me worried there for a minute."

Maria scratches her head in embarrassment.

"My grandfather taught me martial arts back when I lived on the ARK," she explains. Then, she proudly smiles and adds, "I may be fragile, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to fight back."

Then, she, Sonic, Knuckles, Chris, Sam, and Mr. Stewart curiously look at Shadow who takes out the last of the aliens with a few Chaos Spears. He then grabs the deep blue Chaos Emerald that was knocked out of one of the Black Warriors' hand.

Shadow looks at the emerald in his hand, reminding himself, "Only five more."

The unconscious Black Arms disintegrate with a flash of light. Shadow start to leave, but stops as he curiously notices Sonic, Knuckles, Chris, Sam,Mr. Stewart, and Maria looking at him. Maria then approaches Shadow.

Knuckles starts to follow Maria in concern, calling, "Maria..."

Mr. Stewart puts his hand on Knuckles' shoulder, stopping him. Knuckles curiously looks at Mr. Stewart who shakes his head as if to tell him "No". Then, they look at Shadow and Maria staring at each other.

"Why did you come?" Shadow asks Maria. "It's too dangerous."

"So, I've been told," she tells him. Then, she smiles and explains, "But I came to see you."

Shadow gasps in surprise upon hearing this.

"I know it must be hard for you, trying to remember your past," Maria consoles him.

He determinedly nods in agreement.

"That's why I'm collecting the Chaos Emeralds," he explains. "Perhaps, they'll help me remember."

"Then, let me help you," Maria concludes.

Shadow gasps in shock, asking, "What? You can't. I won't let you endanger your life any more than it already has been."

"I don't care. I want to help," she insists.

"Maria," is all Shadow can say at this point.

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself," she assures him. "Please, Shadow?"

She holds out her hand to Shadow.

"Take me with you," she requests.

Sonic, Knuckles, Chris, Sam, and Mr. Stewart curiously watch them this whole time. Shadow then becomes determined.

"Alright then," he tells her. "Just don't expect me to keep you out of trouble."

"I won't," Maria replies as Shadow holds her hand.

Then, Shadow holds the Chaos Emerald over his head.

He closes his eyes and shouts, "Chaos Control!"

Soon, the light of Chaos Control engulfs both Shadow and Maria. Sonic, Knuckles, Chris, Sam, and Mr. Stewart gasp in shock upon seeing this.

Sonic and Chris reach out to Maria and call to her, "Maria!"

As the light fades, Shadow and Maria have disappeared through Chaos Control. Knuckles, Sam, and Mr. Stewart just stare at the empty space. Sonic is concerned while Chris is worried, both of them wonder about Maria's safety.

"I hope she'll be okay," wonders Chris.

"She will be, she's with Shadow now," Sonic points out.

Doom's Eye still watches over the scene, unnoticed.

"Maria, the professor's granddaughter. She may be a threat to our mission," he ponders. "I must keep watch over them both."

He teleports out of the circus tent in a Chaos-Control-like manner. Outside, we zoom out away from the tent from overhead.

A/N:  
This fic is getting more and more interesting! I'll bet nobody expected Maria to fight back. As explained in the chapter, She's also skilled in martial arts. She learned from Professor Gerald, her grandfather and Shadow's creator, which explains how Shadow learned to fight. So, Maria can fight along side Sonic and the gang should the situation call for it. But the biggest surprise is how much of Shadow's past Maria truly knows. What secrets could she be hiding? And what of Black Doom? What is the mission of the Black Arms? This will all be answered in the upcoming chapters. Speaking of which, this story is over the three chapter mark (not counting the prologue) I've set in my "Sonic X" fics. So, after every three chapters is like a break between episodes, like a two-parter. However, since this is a written story and not actual aired episodes, this story will not break into two (or three) separate fics. So, you don't have to wait for a "To be continued...". (Lucky you.) So, 'til next chapter.


	5. Vision of a Prison

DISCLAIMER: Characters, places, and objects are trademarks of Sega, Sonic Team, and/or Sonic Project.

Author's Note:  
Part 2 is here! In case you missed the last chapter, Maria has joined Shadow on his quest for the Chaos Emeralds. In this chapter, her intelligence is showcased in this fic based on her experience on the Space Colony ARK when she lived there. So, Maria helps Shadow out as much as Chris helped Sonic and the gang in season three. She'll be responsible for Shadow's Extreme Gear. It's called the "High Booster" in the "Sonic Riders" game, but I decided to give it the name of his skates in said game, the "Darkness". I know, it sounds confusing, but I think it's much better this way, don't you? Maria also narrates a flashback in this chapter, so, her narration is in italic. Now, let's continue the search for the Chaos Emeralds!

Chapter 4 - Vision of a Prison 

Outside the circus tent, Mr. Stewart talks on his two-way radio on his wristwatch.

"This is Chalkboard Charlie. Come in," he calls through his watch.

Meanwhile, Topaz and Rouge are standing in downtown Station Square near the Black Arms' earlier massacre. Topaz holds a walkie-talkie in her hand.

"We read you, Chalkboard Charlie. What's going on?" she asks through her walkie-talkie.

"Maria has joined Shadow the Hedgehog on his quest for the Chaos Emeralds," Mr. Stewart replies.

Topaz and Rouge gasp in shock upon hearing this.

"But why would she put herself in danger like that?" wonders Rouge.

"The decision was of her own free will," Mr. Stewart tells them.

"What? Why didn't you stop her?" Topaz demands.

Mr. Stewart explains, "I felt it was not necessary."

Topaz and Rouge become confused, asking, "Huh?"

"As you're well aware, Shadow has amnesia," Mr. Stewart reminds them. "He needs to recover his memories. And Maria may be just what he needs to do just that."

At that moment, Shadow and Maria, through Chaos Control, arrive in the midst of some ruins on an abandoned island. They curiously look around.

"According to the Chaos Emeralds, there's another one around here somewhere," Shadow explains.

"This place, can it be?" Maria wonders.

Shadow looks at Maria and asks her, "What is it, Maria?"

Maria looks at Shadow and admits, "I'm not quite sure, but it appears that we're on what remains of Prison Island."

Shadow looks around and wonders, "Prison Island?"

"Yes. It used to be a top-secret military prison, hidden away from the rest of the world," Maria explains.

"I see. But for what purpose?" Shadow asks her.

Suddenly, he groans in pain and gets down on his knees, holding his head. Maria notices in worry.

"Shadow!" she cries out.

She rushes over and puts her arm around him.

"What's wrong?" she asks him.

"I... I'm getting a vision," he tells her.

Maria thinks, "He must be remembering something." She asks Shadow, "What is it?"

Shadow stops holding his head and looks up at her.

"I was here before," he explains. "I somehow escaped, but then was captured by some military soldiers and brought here." He looks ahead in curiosity and wonders, "But from where?" He stands up and Maria lets go of him as he adds, "And how?"

Maria is still worried about him.

"That's right," she thinks.

She envisions Dr. Eggman on Prison Island six years ago opening the capsule containing Shadow. Shadow then bows to Eggman in gratitude. Maria narrates.

_Chris told me that this is where Eggman found Shadow and released him._

Later, in that same time period, Shadow plants a timer on one of the prison walls and pressing a button on it to activate it. It starts counting down from ten minutes. Then, he holds the red, deep blue, and purple Chaos Emeralds in his arm as he raises the green Chaos Emerald over his head, preparing to use Chaos Control.

_And he was the one responsible for blowing up this island._

Maria comes back to six years later as she worries about Shadow who looks ahead in determination.

"But do I tell him that?" she thinks, worried that he might feel guilty of the wrong he did.

Shadow looks at her and questions, "Maria?"

Maria gasps in curiosity, "Huh?"

"Are you coming?" Shadow asks her.

She becomes determined and nods as if to tell him "Yes". Then, they both rush across the ruins, passing the destruction Shadow had caused, but doesn't remember. As they run past, some red robotic eyes light up. Soon, Shadow gasps in surprise as he skids to a stop. He looks below his feet.

Maria catches up with him and asks, "What is it, Shadow?"

Shadow looks at her and stretches his arm across her to keep her from harm.

He instructs, "Careful." He looks below his feet and explains, "Wouldn't want you falling in there."

Maria looks down and gasps in horror upon seeing a river of bright green toxic waste beneath the cliff she and Shadow are on. Suddenly, they hear some metallic thudding footsteps behind them. They gasp in shock at this and look behind them. A group of Laser Hunters and Mono Beetles slowly approach them.

"Those military robots must have survived the island's destruction," Maria tells Shadow. "They'll destroy anyone setting foot on the island."

"We could fight our way past them," he tells her, then, looks at the river of toxic waste and points out, "but the Chaos Emerald is somewhere down that deadly river."

Maria looks at the river, too.

"If only there were some way across," Shadow wonders.

He looks at the robots approaching in determination as Maria curiously looks around. She happily gasps as she notices a pile of scrap metal nearby.

She tells Shadow, "Shadow, I've got an idea." She looks at him and requests, "Think you can hold off these robots?"

He mischievously grins.

"You don't even need to ask," he tells her.

He charges at the robots and fights them as Maria rushes over to the scrap metal. She examines a couple pieces and starts to put them together the best she can.

(Note to any kids reading this fic: Never play with scrap metal. Their sharp edges could hurt you.)

Meanwhile, Shadow jumps over the lasers shot out by the Hunters and Beetles and throws a Chaos Spear at some of them, destroying them. Then, he punches some more Hunters and kicks some more Beetles. Then, he looks at Maria.

He calls out to her, "Maria, could you hurry it up over there?"

He then notices a Hunter slamming its fist toward him, but he grabs its arm before it could hit him.

Maria looks at Shadow and calls out to him, "I would, but it's hard without a blowtorch!"

Suddenly, she gasps in surprise as an arm, ripped from the Hunter by Shadow, is thrown toward her at the scrap metal pile. The arm has a small flame of fire at the point where it was ripped off the body.

"That'll work," she happily states.

She picks up the arm, keeping its flame away from her body, and starts to weld together some pieces of scrap metal she dug out from the pile.

(Note to any kids reading this fic: Never play with fire. It's dangerous and deadly.)

Meanwhile, Shadow throws more Chaos Spears at the robots, destroying them. However, even more Laser Hunters and Mono Beetles come toward him. He starts glowing red as he angrily growls and brings his fists up to his chest.

"Chaos..." he starts.

Then, he quickly brings his fists down, tilts his head back, and closes his eyes as he shouts out...

"...Blast!" he concludes.

Upon these words, the red glow expands out into a red dome of light covering the Laser Hunters and Mono Beetles, destroying them. Maria watches in awe.

"Shadow's finally mastered the Chaos Blast," she thinks. "Too bad it had to happen when he has amnesia."

The red light from the Chaos Blast fades as Shadow pants while standing in a fighting pose as a pile of the destroyed robots lay in front of him.

Maria, who had looked away to work on the scrap metal, shouts out, "Finished!"

Shadow looks at her with a gasp in surprise and rushes over to her as she stands up, facing him. She holds up a hoverboard similar to Sonic's Extreme Gear, the Blue Star. However, this gear is white with red on the front and back and red swirls on the side. Shadow stands in front of her and looks at the board in her hands in confusion.

"An Extreme Gear?" he asks.

Maria beams, "Not just any Extreme Gear, your Extreme Gear! I built it myself after watching Chris and Chuck build Extreme Gear for Sonic and the others. I call it the 'Darkness', in your honor."

She hands the "Darkness" to Shadow who excepts it, still curious about it.

He wonders, "You built this?" He looks at Maria and adds, "For me?"

"I didn't want you to feel left out," she admits. "Now, we can cross the river together!"

Shadow becomes determined as he nods in agreement. Then, they gasp in shock as they notice a new group of Laser Hunters and Mono Beetles coming toward them. Shadow jumps on the Darkness in determination as it hovers above the ground.

He holds his hand out to Maria, calling, "Maria!"

Maria nods in determined agreement and she takes Shadow's hand and climbs on the Darkness behind him. She holds on to Shadow and he rides the Extreme Gear down the river. The Laser Hunters shoot at them and Mono Beetles follow them. Shadow and Maria dodge the lasers and the Beetles while on the gear. They are soon clear of the lasers after making a turn down the river, but the Beetles still follow them. Soon, two Beetles come up along side them, one on each side. The Beetles then start to sandwich them, but Shadow jumps the gear up over the Beetles as they collide. They blow up upon collision. Then, the gear comes back down, hovering over the river as Shadow and Maria race across it. The rest of the Mono Beetles are still right behind them.

Maria points in front of her, instructing, "Shadow, look!"

Shadow looks in front of him and sees the yellow Chaos Emerald in the distance floating high above the river. He then notices a piece of pavement sticking out of the river like a ramp that leads to the emerald.

He tells Maria in determination, "Hold on tight!"

She holds on to him and closes her eyes as he heads toward the ramp. He rides the gear up the ramp and jumps off toward the Chaos Emerald as the Mono Beetles follow.

Shadow reaches toward the Chaos Emerald, crying, "Chaos..." then, he grabs the Chaos Emerald and concludes, "...Control!"

Upon his words, the emerald glows brightly and covers Shadow, Maria, and Shadow's gear. The light fades and they have disappeared through Chaos Control as the Mono Beetles fly past and into the ceiling, destroying them. Three down, four to go.

A/N:  
This is getting interesting. Thus, the search continues. 'Til next chapter. 


	6. Chaotix Control

DISCLAIMER: Characters, places, and objects are trademarks of Sega, Sonic Team, and/or Sonic Project. 

Author's Note:  
We interrupt Shadow and Maria's search for the Chaos Emeralds to bring you... the return of the Chaotix! That's right, Chaotix fans, rejoice! They were in the original game and now, they're back to take down the Black Arms' flying fortress! Remember, Eggman's lackeys "accidentally" activated the fleet in the second chapter. So, it's up to the Chaotix to sink that battleship! And, as always, any anime emotional "enhancements" will be in bold. Now, let's cheer on Team Chaotix! And no, you don't have to FIND THE COMPUTER ROOM! (You were expecting that, weren't ya? Admit it!)

Chapter 5 - Chaotix Control

The Black Arms battleship, "accidentally" activated by Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun, is flying high over the forest. Just then, coming toward the ship is Charmy Bee who is carrying Espio the Chameleon who has Vector the Crocodile holding his feet. The Chaotix (or should I say "Team Chaotix") make their way toward the first ship of this mighty fleet.

"There it is, the alien's battleship!" Vector points out. "I don't know where it came from, but I do know it's going down!"

"That thing is huge!" Espio notices. "I don't know how we're going to keep that from going into the city."

Charmy pants, "Can I let go now? You guys are heavy."

Vector looks up at Charmy and tells him, "Not yet, we're almost there." He looks below him and assures, "Just a little more..."

The first ship of the fleet is soon under Vector's feet.

"Okay, now!" Vector instructs Charmy.

Charmy drops Espio and Vector toward the ship. Vector and Espio separate and each land feet-first with Espio in a brief fighting pose before he and Vector stand up. Charmy flies down beside Vector, panting.

"Remind me never to do that again," Charmy says between breaths.

"Eh, you'll get used to it," Vector tells him.

Charmy gets annoyed at Vector, telling him, "Easy for you to say. You're not the one lugging all that weight flying here."

Vector angrily demands Charmy, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Charmy angrily demands Vector, "Would it kill ya to exercise once in a while?"

Vector and Charmy growl as they look at each other with their faces are close up.

**Red veins stick out of their foreheads, one vein per forehead.**

"That's enough of that," Espio tells his teammates, unshaken by their argument.

Vector and Charmy curiously look at Espio, asking, "Huh?"

Espio looks at Vector and Charmy and reminds them, "Remember why we're here," then, he looks ahead of him and explains, "we need to find some way to stop this battleship before those aliens can use it."

Vector and Charmy approach Espio with determined looks on their faces and stand beside him, looking ahead of them. The entire fleet is spread out in front of the Chaotix as if they were in some ancient ruins.

"So, any ideas?" Vector asks his teammates.

Charmy then curiously notices something.

Charmy points in front of him and wonders, "Hey, what's that?"

Vector and Espio become curious, too. The Chaotix notice a glowing green sphere floating above its pedestal, the same one activated by Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun. However, the sphere no longer has the wooden hoops spinning around it. Charmy goes over to it.

Charmy touches the sphere and notices, "Ooh, feels warm. I wonder what it's doing here?"

He knocks twice on the sphere. Suddenly, it changes from green to yellow.

Charmy backs away from the sphere in fright, shouting, "Whoa!"

He's now in front of Vector and Espio with his back turned against them, but he's still very frightened at the sphere's sudden change of color.

"I didn't do it!" he denies.

Vector ponders about the sphere, "Hmm..."

Espio and Charmy curiously watch Vector as he goes past them and stands in front of the sphere. He gives it a tap and it changes color again, this time, from yellow to red.

"Just as I thought," Vector confirms. "This sphere is weak after a certain number of hits." He winds up to punch and adds, "So, this last hit should do it."

He punches the sphere. It cracks and breaks apart. Suddenly, the whole battleship starts to shake. The Chaotix notice this in surprise.

"Whoa!" the cry out.

"What's going on?" Charmy asks.

"I think we found this ship's power source," Espio assumes.

"You may be right," Vector agrees.

The shaking quickly stops.

Vector notices, "Hey, it stopped."

"Uh, why is this ship still flying?" Charmy asks in confusion.

Espio becomes serious and explains, "Perhaps, there are more spheres around here somewhere."

Vector looks at Espio and Charmy in determination.

"Good point," Vector agrees.

Espio and Charmy look at him.

Vector explains, "And I'll bet if we destroy 'em all,this ship may finally come crashin' down!So, let's get goin', team!"

Espio and Charmy agree in determination, "Right!"

The Chaotix run across the ship toward the next, hoping to find another sphere. Meanwhile, a group of Black Warriors, Black Oaks, and Black Hawks are scattered around the fleet. Suddenly, they, and only they, hear Black Doom's voice.

"Those fools must be stopped," he demands. "Don't let them destroy this ship's power source. Go!"

The aliens head toward the Chaotix's path.

"And do not fail me," Black Doom warns before his voice is no longer heard.

Meanwhile, the Chaotix head toward another glowing green sphere. Suddenly, they stop and gasp in surprise as they notice some Black Hawks flying toward them. The Black Hawks shoot at the Chaotix feet, blocking their path.

"Whoa!" the Chaotix cry out, dodging the blast.

"That was close," Vector responds.

He and his teammates look at the Black Hawks as they circle around for another attack.

"Guess those guys don't want us to sink their ship," Charmy points out.

The Chaotix look at the sphere in determination.

"There's gotta be some way to get to that sphere," Vector ponders.

Espio pulls out his ninja stars and tells his teammates, "Just leave it to me."

He throws four ninja stars at the sphere which causes it to change from green to yellow to red and then, blows up.

"Whoa. Nice one," Vector responds in awe.

Charmy worriedly looks at the Black Hawks and asks, "Yeah,but what about them?"

Vector and Espio look at the Black Hawks, too. Vector is worried, but Espio doesn't flinch. The Black Hawks prepare to shoot again.

Espio pulls out his ninja stars and assures, "No problem."

He throws three ninja stars at the Black Hawks as there are only three Black Hawks coming toward the Chaotix at the moment. The stars slice through the Black Hawks, causing them to explode, thus, destroying them. Then, the Chaotix determinedly continue down their path, looking for some more spheres. Soon, they arrive at yet another glowing green shpere, but this time, a wall of Black Warriors are in front of it. The Chaotix still charge forward in determination.

"Time to break down the wall!" Vector tells his teammates.

They all jump up and prepare to attack. The Black Warriors bring their arms up to defend themselves, but it's no use: They're no match for the Chaotix! Vector punches the ground as he lands, knocking away some Black Warriors who are tossed high in the sky and come back down in a damaging thud. Espio kicks a Black Warrior into another, causing them both to fall down and lay there, unconscious. Espio lands in front of them with his back turned against them and he brushes the dust off his hands. Charmy jumps on top of the remaining Black Warriors' heads, one by one, making them dizzy. They get so dizzy that they soon fall down and lay there, unconscious. Charmy flies over to Vector and hovers beside him and Espio stands beside Vector who stands up. The threesome are looking at the now-unprotected sphere.

"Now's our chance!" Vector instructs his teammates.

Charmy flies over to the sphere and calls out, "I've got it!"

He stings the sphere twice, the second time turns it yellow. He stings it again, turning it red. He then takes a final sting at it, breaking it completely. Vector and Espio rush over to him.

Vector congratulates Charmy, "Great job!"

He, Espio, and Charmy look ahead of them in determination.

"Now, let's find the rest," Vector instructs his teammates.

The Chaotix continue down the path, but stop and gasp in shock as they notice two Black Oaks coming toward them. Behind the Black Oaks is still another glowing green sphere.

"Whoa. How are we gonna get past them?" Charmy wonders.

Vector determinedly cracks his knuckles. (No, it's not a reference to Knuckles the Echidna.)

"Just leave this to me, boys," he replies.

He charges at the Black Oaks. They swing their arms to swat him, but he jumps out of the way upon impact. Then, he pushes their heads together, knocking them out upon impact. This causes them to fall down and lay there, unconscious. Espio and Charmy are impressed with Vector who stands on top of the fallen Black Oaks, smiling at his teammates.

"Well, don't just stand there! Get rid of that sphere, will ya?" Vector instructs his teammates.

Espio and Charmy determinedly nod in agreement. The two then rush over to the sphere and stand in front of it.

Espio tells Charmy as they look at each other, "Charmy, maneuver 142!"

"Gotcha!" Charmy agrees.

Espio takes Charmy by the hands, then, swings him in the air over the sphere. Charmy then points his stinger at the sphere and does a drill-spin down toward it. This move hits the sphere, causing it to quickly change from green to yellow to red and then, explode. Charmy gets knocked up from the blast, but quickly recovers, hovering over the explosion. He and his teammates watch the dust clear from the sphere's destruction.

"I can sense that there is only one sphere remaining," Espio explains.

"We're almost done, boys. Let's finish the job!" Vector instructs his teammates.

"Right!" agree Espio and Charmy.

The Chaotix rush down the path to the final sphere, jumping from ship to ship. They then stop on the final ship of the fleet, but gasp in shock as they notice a bunch of Black Warriors and Black Oaks in front of them. Lots of Black Hawks are hovering in the sky above this group. Behind the aliens is a long stairway leading up to the final sphere.

"Aw, man! Now, what'll we do?" Charmy asks, worriedly.

Vector becomes determined and responds, "We'll just hafta fight our way through!"

Espio becomes determined and remarks, "Agreed. Take no prisoners!"

Charmy becomes determined and replies, "Okay. Ready when you are!"

The Chaotix take fighting poses. Then, the Black Arms all rush in to attack. The Chaotix then charge in to attack, too. Vector punches each Black Warrior and Black Oak in his path, clearing the way for him. Espio throws ninja stars at the heads of the Black Warriors and the Black Oaks in his path, making them blind. This causes them to walk over backwards and clear the way for Espio. Charmy stings each Black Hawk in his path before they have a chance to attack. Soon, all three Chaotix make it to the stairway and rush up toward the sphere as the group of Black Arms charge behind them.

"Okay, boys, this is it. Let's make it count!" Vector instructs his teammates.

Vector and Espio jump up in the air and they and Charmy start to karate-kick toward the sphere just as a Black Hawk shoots in their direction. The Chaotix's kick lands on the sphere, causing it to change from green to yellow to red. This doesn't destroy the sphere. However, just as the Chaotix fall on their backs after their kick, the blast from the Black Hawk, though aimed at the Chaotix, but misses, hits the sphere. The sphere then shatters in a devastating blast. Then, the entire battleship shakes and slowly goes toward the ground below. ...far below. The Black Warriors and the Black Oaks feel the shake and shake with the fleet while the Black Hawks circle above them as if they were in panic. In the distance, Charmy carries Espio and Vector as they watch the mighty battleship go down.

Charmy is annoyed at Vector and Espio and tells them, "Seriously, you guys need to workout more."

Vector replies, "Who cares?" He adds as Charmy looks at the falling battleship, "As long as that ship is sunk, we'll have one less disaster to worry about."

Espio responds, "Yes, but that won't stop those aliens from destroying this planet. ...somehow."

A/N:  
Whoa! Was that action-packed or what? Okay, it was funny, too. Hey, what did you expect? This is the Chaotix, after all. We'll return to Shadow and Maria's quest for the Chaos Emeralds next chapter. 'Til then, read and review, won't ya?


	7. Castle of Chaos

DISCLAIMER: Characters, places, and objects are trademarks of Sega, Sonic Team, and/or Sonic Project.

Author's Note:  
Time to continue the hunt for the Chaos Emeralds! Here, Shadow and Maria are about to come face to face with a boss from the game that normally doesn't belong in the original stage. (Gotta love that creative license!) Oh, just a reminder: Maria is more involved in this fic than she was in the game due to the fact that she joined the "Sonic X"cast since my first fic in the series, "Welcome Back, Sonic". (Read said fic to see how.) Plus, her intelligence is showcased in this fic based on her experience on the Space Colony ARK when she lived there. So, Maria helps Shadow out as much as Chris helped Sonic and the gang in season three. Now, on with the hunt!

Chapter 6 - Castle of Chaos

At the Thorndyke mansion, Tails admires his plant sprout, Cosmo 2, on the windowsill. Suddenly, Chuck comes rushing in, worriedly.

"Tails!" he cries out. Tails curiously looks at him as he instructs the two-tailed fox, "Come quick! There's something new in my workshop!"

Inside the garage of the Thorndyke mansion, which Chuck had made into his workshop many years ago, he and Tails are surprised to see Shadow's Extreme Gear, the Darkness, standing up against the wall.

"A new Extreme Gear?" Tails exclaimed. "Where did that come from?"

Chuck looks at him and admits, "I thought you built it."

Tails looks at Chuck and replies, "Not me. I've been with Cosmo 2 all day, taking good care of her."

He and Chuck look at the gear.

Chuck rubs his chin and ponders, "I wonder who it belongs to."

"Judging by its design, it looks like it belongs to Shadow," Tails guesses.

"I see. So, he must have Chaos Controlled it here for safekeeping," Chuck hypotheses. "But if you didn't build it and I didn't build it, then who did?"

He and Tails gasp in realization.

They look at each other and exclaim, "Maria!"

"She must be with Shadow!" Tails concludes.

Chuck looks up in wonderment and says, "Hopefully, she can help Shadow recover his memories."

Meanwhile, Shadow and Maria have Chaos Controlled outside the entrance to an old dark horror-movie-type castle known as the Cryptic Castle. Shadow doesn't have his Extreme Gear, as it had been Chaos Controlled to Chuck's workshop, but Shadow and Maria don't notice as they look at the castle in front of them.

"Wow. That castle is huge. And creepy," she tells Shadow.

"Perhaps. But we need to find the Chaos Emerald located here," he explains. "Somewhere inside that castle, I'm sure we'll find it."

Maria looks at him and gasps in surprise. She notices his Extreme Gear is missing.

"Shadow, where's your gear?" she asks.

Shadow looks at her and responds, "I've sent it to Charles Throndyke's workshop back at the mansion for safekeeping while Chaos Controlling here." He looks at the castle entrance and assures Maria, "I have a feeling we won't need it."

She looks at the castle entrance and asks, "Don't you think that your feeling could be wrong?"

The entrance to the castle, two huge wooden doors, are closed tight.

Shadow mischievously grins, "Heh. You'll see."

He throws a Chaos Spear at the doors which breaks them enough to leave a wide open space in the entrance. Maria smiles at this as Shadow determinedly frowns.

He walks toward the entrance, proclaiming, "Now, to find that fourth Chaos Emerald."

Maria follows him and they enter the castle. Soon, they approach a red weather balloon with a hang-glider handle in the middle of a circular room seemingly closed off by the stone wall if not for the open doorway behind them and no ceiling over their heads.

"Looks like this balloon could take us above some of the castle from here," Shadow remarks.

"It seems it might not keep us afloat for long," Maria replies, examining the size of the balloon.

"Then, let's hitch a ride on it now while it's still full of air," Shadow instructs.

He and Maria grab the balloon's handle and it lifts them out of the room and takes them high over some of the castle's towers. Then, they curiously look at the balloon as they gently float down slowly.

"We'd better find a place to land," Maria points out.

Shadow looks below him and determinedly notices a tower with a flat surface nearby.

"Maria," he says to her. She looks at him as he instructs, "Get ready to jump."

Maria looks at the nearby tower and nods in determined agreement. Soon, they hover over the tower, still floating downwards.

Shadow shouts out, "Now!"

He and Maria let go of the balloon's handle and land safely on the tower's flat roof, feet-first, as the balloon floats away toward the ground far below. Maria walks toward an edge of the tower and looks down.

She worriedly asks Shadow, "You were saying about not needing your Extreme Gear?"

Shadow stands next to her as he looks up at the sky.

"Here comes why," he points out.

Maria curiously looks up at the sky and notices what Shadow is looking at: A yellow dragon-like creature flies toward them. This creature, know as a Black Volt, resembles a larger version of the Black Hawks. (Why is it called a "Black" Volt if it's yellow?) It fires a laser wave out of its mouth and at Shadow and Maria.

Shadow pushes Maria away, saying, "Look out!"

He jumps out of the way as the blast lands on the rooftop and explodes upon impact. The smoke clears, revealing that the rooftop is undamaged despite the explosion on it. (Amazing!) Shadow and Maria stand up as they look at the Black Volt who swings around the tower.

Maria realizes Shadow's plan in shock, "You mean to tell me we're gonna ride on that creature?"

Shadow reminds her, "Unless you want to remain on this tower..."

He doesn't finish his sentence, knowing Maria got his point.

"Well, it does seem logical when you put it that way," she agrees. She asks as she and Shadow look at each other, "But how do we get on that creature?" Then, she points out as she and Shadow look at the Black Volt, "It keeps moving."

The Black Volt shoots at them again which makes them duck to avoid the blast. The blast lands behind them and explodes from a distance upon impact. Shadow and Maria look behind them as the smoke clears, revealing the rooftop to be undamaged once again. (Wow! That's one sturdy rooftop!) They look back at the Black Volt who circles around them.

"I'll just have to weaken it first," decides Shadow.

He throws a Chaos Spear at the Black Volt, hitting its head. This causes the creature to scream in pain. It shakes it off and resumes circling.

"A couple more hits should do it," Shadow notices.

He throws another Chaos Spear at the Black Volt's head. It hits its target which makes the Black Volt scream in pain and briefly fall away from the tower. It recovers though and flies back up around the tower.

"I'll have to be careful not to make it fall to the ground below this tower," Shadow explains. "Otherwise, we'll miss our chance."

The Black Volt flies toward him and Maria.

She worriedly points at the Black Volt and warns Shadow, "It's heading straight for us!"

Shadow responds as Maria goes behind him, "Let it come."

The Black Volt charges up for another attack, but Shadow throws one more Chaos Spear at it which hits its head and interrupts the charge, causing the creature to let out one final scream and fall. It lands in front of Shadow and Maria. Maria is impressed at this. ...if not surprised.

"Here's our ride," he says. He approaches the Black Volt and asks, "Shall we get going?"

Maria determinedly nods and she and Shadow climb on the Black Volt's back. Maria stands behind Shadow and holds on to his waist as he stands behind its head and holds both of the Black Volt's horns sticking out on the top of its head. Using its horns, Shadow nudges the creature to go. It wakes up and flies up off the tower. Then, it takes Shadow and Maria through the sky, past some various towers. Soon, some Black Hawks come toward them.

Maria notices the Black Hawks and tells Shadow, "Looks like we've got company."

"Not for long," he replies.

He stomps his foot on the Black Volt's back which makes it shoot at one of the Black Hawks, destroying it. Shadow repeats this method until the remaining Black Hawks are destroyed. Then, Shadow and Maria, riding the Black Volt, reach another wing of the castle.

"Here's our stop," Shadow announces.

He carries Maria in his arms and jumps off the Black Volt. He lands safely beside the entrance, feet-first, and puts Maria down to stand beside him. They watch the Black Volt as it flies away. Then, they head toward the closed doors in the entrance. A Chaos Spear blasts away the doors and Shadow and Maria enter an arena-like room with a huge un-lit torch in the center. There are two smaller thin torches near the doorway, one on each side. There is also a stairway leading from the entrance to the floor of the room. However, all Shadow and Maria notice is the gray Chaos Emerald hovering above the big torch in the center of the room.

Maria happily points at the Chaos Emerald, exclaiming, "There's the Chaos Emerald!"

Shadow smiles, "Finally!"

They walk down the stairway toward the emerald, but stop as the room starts to shake as if it were an earthquake. Shadow and Maria worriedly try to maintain their balance. Suddenly, a huge black blob-like creature with a red head comes out through the ground. ...literally. The room stops shaking as the creature hovers above the ground. The ground, meanwhile, remains intact. (How this is likely is anyone's guess.) This creature has small red wings on its back and one green eye. One! Shadow and Maria look up at the creature who blocks the way to the Chaos Emerald.

"Not another one," Maria groans

Shadow angrily complains, "Hmph! Now, they're just getting on my nerves."

Meanwhile, Doom's Eye hovers near the ceiling of the room, unseen, overlooking the scene.

"Yes, Black Bull. Don't make it easy for him," he instructs. "We don't want Shadow to think he's doing this for us, now, do we?"

Black Bull shoots a fireball out of its mouth and at Shadow and Maria, but they jump out of the way as it lands. The flames from the fireball die down leaving the floor uncharred. (What is it with this castle?) Shadow and Maria face Black Bull.

"You'd better get to safety, Maria," he tells Maria. She looks at him as he continues, "I'll handle him."

Maria determinedly nods in agreement, "Right."

She runs away from Shadow and Black Bull and goes up the stairway toward the open doorway, but stops in front of the doorway with a gasp in shock. She notices a group of Black Hawks in the distance coming toward her. Meanwhile, Shadow faces off against Black Bull.

"His eye could be a weak spot," thinks Shadow. "I just have to time my attack right."

Black Bull shoots a fireball at Shadow, but he jumps in the air as the fireball lands on the ground. Shadow, while in mid-air, throws a Chaos Spear at Black Bull's eye. The spear hits the eye which makes Black Bull cry out in pain. As Shadow lands, Black Bull quickly recovers.

"Only two more," thinks Shadow.

Meanwhile, the Black Hawks come closer toward Maria. She then notices one of the lit torches beside her. She becomes determined. She grabs the torch and swings it out in front of her. The Black Hawks frightfully keep their distance from the torch's flames.

"That's right, stay back!" Maria threatens. "You don't wanna get burned, do you?"

Meanwhile, Shadow rushes back and forth, avoiding Black Bull's attacks. He then shoots a Chaos Spear at its eye. The spear hits its target, causing Black Bull to scream in pain. Shadow stops and curiously looks at Maria near the doorway, shooing away the Black Hawks with the torch in her hands.

Shadow calls to Maria in concern, "Maria! Light the torch in the middle of the room and I'll take care of the black creatures!"

Maria worriedly looks at Shadow, keeping the torch pointed at the Black Hawks.

She calls to Shadow, "But, Shadow, the Chaos Emerald!"

Black Bull, meanwhile, slowly recovers.

Shadow calls to Maria, "Chaos Emeralds can survive harsh conditions! Just light the torch and take cover!"

Black Bull fires a fireball at Shadow, but he jumps out of the way. Maria nods her head in determination, knowing what Shadow's planning to do. She faces the Black Hawks and backflips away. She goes over the huge un-lit torch in the middle of the room and while flipping, she throws the torch in her hands down to the big torch. This lights up the big torch, but destroys the smaller torch in the flames. The Chaos Emerald, which hovers over the big torch, is unharmed by the flames like Shadow said. Maria lands feet-first in front of the torch with her back toward it. Then, she runs toward the other end of the room out of the way. Shadow lands feet-first and notices the Black Hawks as they come toward him. Then, he looks back at Black Bull. He then starts glowing red as he angrily growls and brings his fists up to his chest.

He starts, "Chaos..." Then, he quickly brings his fists down, tilts his head back, and closes his eyes as he shouts out, "...Blast!"

Upon these words, the red glow expands out into a red dome of light covering Black Bull and the Black Hawks, destroying them. Maria looks on while standing at the other end of the room. Then, the red light from the Chaos Blast fades as Shadow stands in front of the still-lit torch with the Chaos Emerald hovering over it. Both the torch and the emerald remain intact. Then, Shadow jumps up and flips over the torch and its flames, grabbing the Chaos Emerald on the way. He lands feet-first in front of the torch with his back toward it. Maria runs over to him and stands beside him. They both look at the Chaos Emerald in his hand.

"Only three more left," Maria confirms.

"Soon, I'll get my memory back," Shadow responds.

Then, they worriedly hear some familiar screeching. They look behind them and see a group of Black Hawks coming into the room, heading toward them.

"What about them?" Maria asks Shadow.

Shadow becomes determined and assures her, "Hmph! Why bother? We've wasted enough time here anyway."

He holds Maria close while holding the Chaos Emerald above his head.

"Chaos Control!" Shadow shouts out.

Soon, the light of Chaos Control engulfs Shadow and Maria. As the light fades, they have disappeared through Chaos Control. The Black Hawks remain in the room, circling the big torch in the center of the room. Doom's Eye still hovers near the ceiling, overlooking the scene.

He proclaims, "Yes. Only three more. Then, the ritual can begin."

A/N:  
Is this exciting or what? Bet you were waiting to hear Shadow say "Where's that d--- fourth Chaos Emerald?" Well, tough badniks! There'll be none of that language in my fanfiction! Anyway, part two is completed. Stay tuned for part three next chapter.


	8. It's a Jungle Out Here

DISCLAIMER: Characters, places, and objects are trademarks of Sega, Sonic Team, and/or Sonic Project 

Author's Note:  
Part three begins with a conversation between Chris and Sonic before going back to Shadow and Maria's search for the Chaos Emeralds. I wanted to revive a character trait of Chris': Never wanting to be lonely. That subject hadn't been touched upon since episode 50 of the original series and I felt it was always a part of Chris' character even after he grew up and matured. But don't worry, he won't be all whiny now that he's an adult. Just wanted to give you a heads up. Oh, just a reminder: Maria is more involved in this fic than she was in the game due to the fact that she joined the "Sonic X" cast since my first fic in the series, "Welcome Back, Sonic". (Read said fic to see how.) She's skilled in martial arts since she learned from Professor Gerald, her grandfather and Shadow's creator, which explains how Shadow learned to fight. So, Maria can fight along side Sonic and the gang should the situation call for it. Anyway, let's get back in this!

Chapter 7 - It's a Jungle Out Here 

Back at the Thorndyke mansion, Chris leans on the balcony rail outside his room and worriedly looks at the blue sky. He is still concerned about Maria.

Sonic's voice calls to him, "Still worried about Maria, huh, Chris?"

Chris doesn't look up, but he knows that Sonic is standing behind him.

"It's that obvious, huh?" was Chris' reply.

Sonic approaches him and sits on the rail beside him.

"You've always been lonely since you were a kid," Sonic reminds him. "You told me yourself that your parents were always busy and didn't have much time for you."

Chris smiles, "Yeah." He looks at Sonic and explains, "That's why I didn't want you to leave this world."

Then, he sadly sighs and looks at the sky.

"Now that my parents adopted Maria as my sister, I feel like I fin'lly have someone to always keep me company," he admits. "But what if something bad happens to her? I don't wanna lose her so soon."

Sonic responds, "Who says you would?"

Chris curiously looks at Sonic.

"Remember, Shadow's with her," the blue hedgehog reminds him. "He'll protect her even if he doesn't remember he was her first friend. Ev'rything will be alright." He gives a thumbs up and winks, "You'll see."

Chris hangs his head down.

"I guess," he says in uncertainty.

Sonic assures him, "Well, if it makes you feel better," Chris curiously looks at Sonic who declares, "I'll go help 'em out."

He stands on the rail, getting ready to run.

"Don't wait up," he tells Chris.

Chris watches Sonic as he goes rushing off in a blue streak. He becomes concerned not only for Maria, but for Sonic as well.

"Be careful, both of you," thinks Chris.

Meanwhile, Shadow and Maria arrive in a dark forest through Chaos Control. Maria curiously looks around while Shadow just looks ahead in determination.

"I don't get it. Why would a Chaos Emerald be hidden in a dark place such as this?" wonders Maria.

Shadow responds, "Hmph. And I thought I was the one with amnesia." Maria looks at him as he explains, "It's not for us to decide where the Chaos Emeralds should be." He starts walking forward and instructs, "Now, let's go get it."

Maria becomes determined and nods in agreement before following Shadow. They look around the forest, then, stop and gasp as they notice some Black Hawks flying toward them. They become determined and assume fighting poses. Then, they jump up and start fighting the hawks, Shadow Chaos Spears them as Maria kicks and punches them down. Eventually, all those Black Hawks lay defeated and disintegrate with a flash of light as Shadow and Maria look on, then, continue walking through the forest in search of a Chaos Emerald. Soon, they stop and gasp as they look up: In front of them is the tallest tree in the forest and hovering at its tip is the light blue Chaos Emerald! Maria giggles at this while Shadow just smiles.

"There it is!" Maria exclaims.

"Now, we just have to get it," Shadow confirms.

They look ahead and walk toward the tree, but stop and gasp in surprise as a trio of Black Oaks jump in front of them and give fighting poses, blocking the way. Maria is worried while Shadow is angry.

"They're not gonna make this easy for us, are they?" is Maria's reply

"I am getting fed up with all these distractions," Shadow protests.

Maria looks on as Shadow charges toward the Black Oaks and fights all three with kicks and punches. The oaks don't go down since they are the strongest of the aliens, but that doesn't prevent them from feeling pain with each hit. Shadow gets hit, too, as the Black Oaks punch him, one by one. He briefly gets knocked down to his knees, but he wipes his lower lip and gets back up and continues fighting. He holds back one of the Black Oaks' arms as he looks back at Maria.

"Maria, see if you can get that Chaos Emerald!" Shadow instructs Maria.

"But what about you?" she asks him in concern.

"I'll keep them busy. Now, go!" he commands.

He looks back at the Black Oak as he pushes its arms away, tossing the alien back, but not down. The Black Oak quickly recovers and charges at Shadow as do the other two, but Shadow fights back. Maria becomes determined and rushes to the tree, passing Shadow and the Black Oak. She then proceeds to climb the tree to get to the Chaos Emerald hovering above it. A branch cracks beneath her foot, causing her to briefly lose her balance, but she recovers and continues to climb. Meanwhile, Shadow punches one Black Oak, jump-kicks another, and punches the third. They quickly recover from the blows and then, proceed to punch Shadow. He blocks the first two, but gets knocked down by the third. He lays on the ground as the Black Oaks walk toward him. Meanwhile, Maria is halfway to the top, but as she grabs the next branch, it breaks off the tree, causing her to fall with a frightened scream. Shadow gasps in horror upon seeing this.

"Maria!" he calls out to her.

The Black Oaks look at Maria falling upon hearing Shadow call to her. However, Maria quickly grabs a sturdy branch which stops her from falling.

Maria wipes her brow in relief, "Whew!"

She starts climbing again as the Black Oaks approach the tree while Shadow looks at Maria in relief.

"That was close," Shadow thinks. "Wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Suddenly, he groans and rubs his forehead as he gets a vision of him taking her down the hallway of the Space Colony ARK as Professor Gerald Robotnik worriedly follows while military soldiers, with rifles in their arms, go after them. Maria is worriedly looking at the soldiers as Shadow is determined to lead her to safety. The memory quickly vanishes as Shadow snaps out of it.

"Another vision. Stronger this time," he thinks. "I was protecting Maria from some soldiers. But what for? What could all this mean?"

He then gasps in shock as he notices the trio of Black Oaks walk toward the base of the tree which Maria's climbing up. Shadow then becomes angry and rushes toward the Black Oaks. One of them winds up to punch the tree to knock Maria off, but Shadow jump-kicks it into the other two Black Oaks, knocking them out of the way. They quickly regain their balance and charge toward Shadow who then starts glowing red as he growls and brings his fists up to his chest.

He starts, "Chaos..." Then, he quickly brings his fists down, tilts his head back, and closes his eyes as he shouts out, "...Blast!"

Upon these words, the red glow expands out into a red dome of light covering the Black Oaks, destroying them. Then, the red light from the Chaos Blast fades as Shadow stands by the base of the tree in determination. He looks up and notices Maria climbing to the top. She reaches for the Chaos Emerald.

"Come on," he encourages.

Maria's hand gets closer to the emerald as she struggles to grab it.

"Come on," Shadow encourages.

Finally, Maria triumphantly grabs the Chaos Emerald.

"Yes!" Shadow excitedly proclaims.

Maria happily calls to Shadow, "Shadow!" She tosses the Chaos Emerald to Shadow and tells him, "Catch!"

He catches the emerald and looks at it. Then, he curiously hears some screeching. He looks behind him and notices a flock of Black Hawks coming toward him. He looks up at Maria in concern.

"Maria!" he calls to her.

Maria nods in determination, knowing that it's time to go. She then jumps down from the tree toward Shadow as he holds the Chaos Emerald above his head.

"Chaos Control!" he shouts out.

The light of Chaos Control then engulfs Shadow and soon, Maria falls into the light, engulfing her as well. As the light fades, they have disappeared through Chaos Control, just as the Black Hawks arrive. Meanwhile, Doom's Eye hovers above the forest.

"Shadow is starting to remember," Doom's Eye acknowledges. "But no matter. By the time he recovers his memory, it will be too late to stop the ritual."

He laughs evilly as the flock of Black Hawks fly up past the treetops.

A/N:  
Ooh, Black Doom's still planning his ritual and it doesn't sound good. Here's hoping Shadow and Maria can stop it in time. So, until next chapter, you know the drill. 


End file.
